2 killed, 8 injured in Beijing explosion

An explosion occurred at around 5:30 am in an apartment of the ground floor of the building at Zuojiazhuangbeili community in Chaoyang District in Beijing.(Photo sorce: Chinanews.com)

Two people were killed and another eight injured in an explosion in a Beijing residential building early on Friday.

The city's government has provided temporary homes for a dozen households after the blast, which detonated in an apartment on the ground floor of a building in Zuojiazhuangbeili community in Chaoyang district at around 5:30 am, said Beijing firefighting authorities.

Rescuers retrieved a body and found an injured elderly woman during a search of the site. The woman later died in hospital.

All of the injured have been sent to hospital. One of them is in a serious condition but none of their injures are life-threatening.

Government authorities have sent six works teams to help with medical treatment, accident investigation, safety inspection and verification of losses.

Rescue work is ongoing.